Growing Older But None the Wiser

As I count down the minutes to my birthday, I am reevaluating my life as we tend to do on occasions such as this.

It suddenly hit me a few moments ago that this is the first year ever in my life to date that I will be alone on the midnight of my birthday, instead of out celebrating with friends or a boyfriend. Instead, since I am becoming an old lady, I am resting up for the festivities tomorrow night and spending the night reading and sleeping. And I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a new trend of this nature; where I will be spending more of life's milestones on my own.

Years ago, if you had asked me where I would be right now, I would've told you that I would be married with kids and living in the suburbs. I never would have dreamed in a thousand years that I would be single, living in Manhattan, and technically unemployed. (Wow it sounds depressing when I put it that way, doesn't it?) But I was talking to my friend J the other day and he asked me to picture the life I would've had if I had married my ex and was strapped to children in the burbs right now.

I tried to imagine what it would be like if I was spending my birthday with a husband and children, rather than throwing a huge party in a bar in Manhattan.

And then I told him wholeheartedly that I was thankful I am where I am, having fun, living on my own, with great friends I am going to celebrate with tomorrow. And he said to me, "Awww, look at little Stinger all grown up."

Happy Birthday to me :)